How to do electrical for shop lights?

[cowanrg]

I'm finally getting a good workshop and looking at doing lighting first. I've been researching and think I'm going to go with the LED T8 bulbs from the sticky thread. My shop is roughly 800 square feet, 3 car garage (roughly 35'x23'). I was thinking 15 total fixtures, 5 per 'bay'. This should put me close to 100 lumens per square foot.

The question is, how are people wiring these things? Currently, there are 3 large bulbs in the garage (one in each bay), so there's power there. I would like to flush-mount the fixtures. Should I just hard-wire each none and run the electrical in the ceiling? There's attic access above the garage.

Also, in terms of layout, I was thinking of a row against the back wall, a row against the front wall, and three fixtures centered in each bay. So, like an 'X' pattern over each bay.

 

[Shiftless]

Sounds like you have a good plan. You are talking about the 2 tube fixtures, right?
Yes, hardwire them. Receptacles and cords in the ceiling can look messy. Plus then you'll have to install a GFCI breaker if you want to or have to conform to the latest code.
If you plan to have a workbench in there, I would add another one or two right above the bench, maybe mounted under a shelf about 4 feet above the benchtop. That is probably where you will be doing close work and can use some extra lumens. Plus that will eliminate shadows. Bench, 4 feet of slat wall or pegboard, shelf with light underneath. You'll like it.

 

[cowanrg]

OK, cool. Yeah, 2 tube fixtures.

I was going to do a row a few feet out from the wall, and my workbenches will be along a wall, so that should be enough light. With higher ceilings and ~100 lumens per square foot, I shouldn't need additional task lighting. I can always add lamps or extra light as needed though.

 

[Falcon67]

In my old 20x24 shop, I had 4 rows of 3 each 4' fixtures. Wire in one end and out the other, terminated in the 3rd light on each row. Switched in two banks. In the new shop I use 8' 4 bulb fixtures. I run power to the first from the attic, then any additional on that "run" get MC cable out from the first into the next. I have 2 to 4 fixtures wired together like that in various layouts depending on where I want lights to be on, controlled by that particular switch.